A Blessing That Never Was
by Reun
Summary: A visitor from the future had dropped by the main timeline to see how things were going seven years after his last visit. When he stumbled upon his kid self in an unlikely place, he envied him for having something he never had: a best friend his own age.
1. Prologue: The Future of the Past

_Author's Note: Hi, it's me again. Some of you might recognise me as a newcomer who wrote Perfect Pranks. For those who haven't read it, I invite you to do so and hopefully you'll get a good laugh (believe it or not, when I read certain parts of it, I myself couldn't help giggling). For those who are currently following it, be assured that I'm not abandoning it. Hopefully I'm able to post the next chapter sometime later this week, because I'm currently juggling my engineering work and writing pastime._

_How This Story Came into Being (feel free to skip this one, although I won't stop you from reading on): The idea for this story somehow came when I was having a breakfast. I don't know how it got into my head, but it just did. So, before it evaporated from my poor memory, I started taking notes on the details straightaway in my phone and developed the skeleton into a full-fledged chapter on my laptop computer. This story will consist of three chapters: prologue, main story, and epilogue. At this moment, the epilogue has been finished, but the main story still needs some development and refining. Compounded with the research I'm currently doing for Perfect Pranks, you may or may not have to wait for a while before the main story is published._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Thanks for still being with me. Again, comments and reviews are most welcome. Now, on with the story. Happy reading!_

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><p>He had seen everything.<p>

The Great Saiyaman. He for the life of him would never understand the rationale of his late mentor's counterpart to don that dorky outfit and play superhero. He had to admit, though, that it was amusing to see the stupid side of Gohan, whom he had always seen as serious, calm, and no-nonsense. It was also heartwarming to see him having a chance to pursue his dream of becoming a scholar; knowing that this Gohan received a proper education by enrolling in a bona-fide academic institution, his heart brimmed with joy.

The World Martial Arts Tournament. He was about to jump into action when Gohan was attacked by those two freaks, but he knew better than to interfere. He didn't have the right to—it wasn't his timeline and his involvement would probably cause a drastic alteration along its course; he was simply an observer—so he swallowed his concerns and watched the event unfold as Gohan had his life, quite literally, drained. Besides, the Z-fighters had done nothing to prevent this, so he figured there had to be some kind of a plan. Minutes later he witnessed Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Krillin fly away, followed by the healed Gohan, his female friend, and a tall, red-skinned man named Kibito, so he secretly took off and covertly followed them.

Majin Buu. How the blubbery abomination refused to perish after all those attacks was just beyond his comprehension. He shuddered at the terrible thought that the Androids and Cell would have been swatted like flies by this roly-poly balloon of a monster. He was devastated when Vegeta sacrificed himself in vain, but he kept reminding himself that there was nothing he could do; in fact, there was nothing he could have done. Then it just happened: Majin Buu's killing spree, the murder of his master Babidi, his fission into evil and good halves, the birth of Super Buu, his deadly fireworks display which—thankfully, because of his Saiyan reflexes—he had been able to dodge safely, his epic battle with earth's last row of defence: the shrewd Piccolo, the wacky Gotenks, and the calculating Gohan, the arrival of Goku who had somehow managed to return to the land of the living and the then-dead Vegeta, the birth of Kid Buu, and finally the destruction of the planet itself.

The Other World. He had been dead before, so King Yemma's check-in station wasn't exactly an unfamiliar vista, save the extremely long queue. The king allowed him to keep his body because he was considered a warrior who fought for the good of mankind, which reminded him of the Cell times, and was sent to Grand Kai's planet along with the familiar faces of the Z-fighters sans the two last full-blooded Saiyans who might or might not still be fighting the monster somewhere else. Even here, he had to make his move very carefully, because the others hadn't been aware of his presence in their timeline. Then he caught a glimpse of something strangely familiar.

His counterpart. There was no mistaking it; the lilac hair gave it away. Standing beside him was that other kid who had never been too far away from him. Goten was his name, he recalled. Together, they were the two halves whom Gotenks was made of. Both had a halo just like everyone else on this planet.

"Trunks, lookie! Where are we?" asked the black-haired boy.

"I don't know, Goten. It looks like we're, um…" his friend hesitated a little before pointing at the white-yellow ring over his head, "dead." Kid Trunks was expecting an episode of panic strike, but it didn't come. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with a very gleeful Goten who was jumping and dancing around for joy. "Why are you so happy?"

"Because we're in the Other World!" he exclaimed cheerfully, then proceeded to elaborate his point, "That's where people go when they die, right? And since our moms and dads are dead, we can finally meet them!" Kid Trunks's frown became an excited smile as Goten turned around and took him by the hand, setting off to explore the new, unfamiliar grounds.

There was Trunks, the boy who was him, the boy whom he had been. He had seen him as a baby, and he had grown into a level-headed, yet spoiled, young boy due to his relatively peaceful upbringing. He could be rude sometimes, which might have been passed down from Vegeta, but his bravery and sense of control made up for it. He was the personification of pride.

And then there was Goten, the boy who never was, the boy who never would be. Goku's death prior to the Androids' arrival in his timeline had prevented his existence. He might seem clueless at first glance, but his pure heart and still-innocent thought never failed to drive him to do his best and believe that anything could happen if he tried hard enough. Both in personality and appearance, he was just like Goku: determination incarnate.

He had witnessed the little warriors' display of power at the World Tournament's youth division. Turning into a Super Saiyan at their age was nothing short of amazing, and that was an understatement. They fought extremely well as little kids. When not being pitted against each other, however, he could see the bond that had formed between them. The extent of their teamwork easily exceeded that of any interaction he had known and formed with various people before. When they fused into that whimsical entity called Gotenks—a clever portmanteau of their names, he ought to say—although they ultimately succumbed to Majin Buu, they had put up a marvellously excellent fight, one that he was sure no one else had ever seen and would never see.

Now, however, Kid Trunks and Goten were pulling pranks on the inhabitants of this planet. They were hyper little imps, and not even Grand Kai himself was exempt from their crazy antics; in fact, he was their first victim. Just imagine how one wouldn't lose his sanity if his prized possession got vandalised; that was exactly what those two did to the unfortunate elder's convertible. Somehow they had gotten their hands on a huge roll of saran wrap and the next second the Chevrolet Impala was buried in countless layers of transparent wrapping. He felt embarrassed for what his kid self was capable of, but couldn't help cracking a smile when he saw them giggling evilly and exchanged a high-five.

But then a slight trace of envy sparked inside his heart. He began to grow jealous of Kid Trunks, who had gotten a best friend for his entire life. Sure, Gohan had been his best friend, but he was not with him anymore. Besides, there had been a nine-year gap between them, so sometimes they simply didn't click. He might have hidden it from his mom, but he had always yearned of a normal childhood where terror and pain were among the last things he had to worry about. But no, life had never been easy for him. He had always been dealt unplayable cards. It all started before his birth with Goku's death. Followed by his father's. Then his friends'. And finally, he was dealt the Joker: Gohan's. It wasn't exactly fair comparing his life with Kid Trunks's because the latter was probably more difficult since he had to lose his life at a tender age of eight, but at least he had a friend he could always talk to, have fun with, and fight together with. Not even death could tear them apart; they were both here in the Other World. The luxury of such camaraderie had been a total stranger to him.

The longer he kept his eyes on the troublemakers, the more intense this envious feeling burned inside him. Call him crazy, but if it wasn't for Kid Buu who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and caused a scene before leaving as quickly as he had come, he might have broken down. The entire ruckus and its aftermath were enough to keep the two busy helping out with cleaning up the training grounds and forget about their passionate pranking for a while. He owed the pink terror a thank you.

When they were busy with their work and he himself was desperately trying to hide from the nearby Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin, something strange happened. Not only to him, but to Kid Trunks, Goten, and other Z-fighters as well. Their halos began to fade as they felt their life force returning spontaneously, and then came Grand Kai, who was visibly upset over something. The boombox-bearing hipster elder announced that the earth had been restored by Dragon Balls on planet Namek and its inhabitants wished back to life, and that it was time for the Earthlings to return home. They prepared themselves—he could have sworn he heard Grand Kai mention something about undoing the saran wrap around his car just before being engulfed in a flash of light—and sure enough, in less than a second they were back on earth. Moments after, a telepathic transmission echoed inside his mind. It was Vegeta, who so rudely asked for the Earthlings to give out energy to defeat Kid Buu once and for all. He did as he was told to, donated almost all of his energy, and after much persuasion from Goku and Hercule Satan, the alleged World Martial Arts champion, the defeat of Kid Buu was finally announced. He then stealthily proceeded to follow the newly revived Gohan, Piccolo, Kid Trunks, and Goten to the Lookout.

High up above the earth, from behind the bushes on Kami's garden, he saw the reunion of the Z-fighters with their loved ones. Goku, Vegeta, Hercule, this timeline's Guardian of the Earth Dende, the good Buu, and a little retriever puppy arrived soon after. He could feel the love and warmth being extended to him as they reunited with each other, but then it happened. The envy struck again. He had accidentally focused his attention to Kid Trunks and Goten who were happily having a good time with the puppy, and the sight of people smiling and laughing with their family and friends only made it worse. Before he broke down and got noticed by the others, he swiftly slipped out of the Lookout and flew back to the hotel he had been staying at for the last few days. His records were still there, thanks to the wish made to the Eternal Dragon of Namek to restore the earth to the state just before Majin Buu's rampage.

Then it dawned on him. That's right, the Namekian Dragon Balls! If only he could gather information on this planet Namek, he could wish everyone in his timeline back, and he might not have to be lonely anymore. He grinned in pure joy before a voice in his mind snapped him back to reality: who would he ask to get the information from? Again, he reminded himself that he was just an audience in this timeline, not even a crew. Interactions with the Z-fighters were forbidden since they were pretty much the main casts whose decisions played a big part in keeping the earth intact, and if he did interact with them and inadvertently cause the diversion of this world's natural flow of time, he could only imagine the countless repercussions, most of them unpleasant, that might take place in the future. As much as he wanted his family and friends back, he couldn't bring himself to once again derail the timeline he had messed up with before when he gave the heart pills to Goku.

He could barely contain his sadness and anger at his inability to do anything and was about to transform into a Super Saiyan when he remembered the Z-fighters' ridiculously keen ability to sense power levels. Just before the final straw, he managed to regain his composure and began to shed a tear, which was very much unlike him. For reasons still quite unclear to him, this trip across time had proven to be too much, both physically and emotionally, and he decided to cry himself silly to sleep. It might be a good idea to stay here for a little bit longer until his emotions had stabled and his defences recovered.

Trunks had no idea how much more it would cost him by staying longer in the future of the past he was in, but there would be no point in returning as a wreck. The last thing he wanted was for his mom to see him getting back home with swollen eyes and ravaged emotions. He needed to be strong for the people of his timeline as well as himself.


	2. Part 1: A Natural Cause

_Author's Note: Hi, and welcome to the second part of A Blessing That Never Was: the main story. Thanks for the review and to those who opted to follow the story! Your recognition is greatly appreciated and I thank you very much. Well, I decided to split the main story into two halves (which means two chapters), because an important transition is going to take place and I feel that revealing both halves in one go kinda washes out the thrill and fun. As you have probably noticed, in this story I refer to Future Trunks simply as Trunks, while the main timeline Trunks is dubbed Kid Trunks. Hopefully it clears the confusion. Also, a majority of this chapter uses a third-person perspective to better narrate the events that are taking place when Trunks is not around. You'll know the difference._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Again, reviews, comments, constructive criticisms, and even following the story are very much appreciated, because they help me know your opinions on this story and also understand whether or not it is worth continuing. Now, on with the story. Happy reading!_

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><p>"So Trunks, do you have plans for the weekend?" asked Goten. He was hovering in the air, enjoying a tall glass of ice-cold chocolate milkshake. Sweet stuffs were always his favourite and his mother had no problem with it, as long as he remembered to brush his teeth at least twice daily.<p>

"Not really, I guess," replied Kid Trunks, who was also suspended mid-air. He had insisted that chocolate was for little kids, so he decided on something more 'adult' instead: hot cappuccino latte. It ended up with him being unable to finish the bitter beverage, so he playfully poured the brown content of his styrofoam cup into the clear seawater and watched it disperse like a drop of dye in a bowl of water, a sight which for some reason fascinated him. "Why do you ask? Wanna pull some pranks?"

"Well, mom's gonna make beef stew," replied Goten. Even the mere thought of beef stew was enough to make him drool. "You like it so much, dontcha Trunks? So I asked her if you can come and sleep over, and she said you can."

"Sounds good! But I gotta ask my mom first."

Goten gave a grin exclusive to his family, nodded in understanding, then shot a glance at the horizon and noticed it was almost nightfall. The sun had begun to set, creating a vibrant scene with brilliant hues of red, orange, yellow, and blue, which looked like as though someone had smeared oil paint all across the sky. "I think we should go back home, Trunks. It's getting late and I don't want your mom yell at us again for wandering off," he persuaded. In a hurry, he took off the lid of his glass, chugged its content in one go, and to his friend's chagrin nonchalantly threw the glass into the sea.

Kid Trunks looked at his watch. It was eight to six in the evening and he slapped his forehead upon recalling Bulma's demand for the boys to be back by six. The beach they were on was quite far from West City, but in Super Saiyan form it would only take around five minutes to reach Capsule Corp. "Oh man, you're right! Let's hurry, or else we won't be having dinner!" he exclaimed in panic before transforming and taking off into the distance, "Race ya!"

"Hey, not fair!" Goten followed suit and struggled to catch up with him.

Yes, struggled. He had kept it secret from everyone, even his best friend and family, that something wasn't quite right with him. Since aiding his father in defeating Kid Buu, Goten felt weaker than before. At first he thought he had donated too much energy, but even he himself thought it was strange for three days to have passed and he still hadn't fully recovered yet. Not wanting to slow them down which would eventually lead them straight to Bulma's wrath, Goten carried on although he knew it hurt. The pain—especially today; for some reason it was even worse than it had been before—grew even more unbearable when he finally caught up with Kid Trunks and even maintaining the same speed cost him a lot of energy.

"What took you so long, Goten? Did you have trouble keeping up with me?" the eldest of the two smirked. Goten didn't answer; he was having difficulties to even keep his path of flight straight. "Hey, I'm just kidding. Now c'mon, let's hurry…"

When Kid Trunks glanced behind he saw Goten gradually slowing down, so he had to turn back. "Goten? You okay? Why are you sweating like that?" he wiped the sweat off his forehead, "Hey, you're burning… wanna take a break?"

Before he could answer, Goten's Super Saiyan transformation suddenly expired and, unable to suspend himself in the air, he fell down. Fortunately Kid Trunks was quick enough to catch him before he hit the ground, and aside from the condition he was in now, he sustained no injuries whatsoever. What had just happened? Was he sick? He had never been sick before. "Goten, hang tight. I'm getting you back as fast as I can," he whispered to his now unconscious friend, unsure if he could even hear him. As fast as he could he flew across the sky, and in no time he had landed in front of Capsule Corp's gates. Five past six. Kid Trunks would usually be frightened at the prospect of being smacked in the head by what he and Goten dubbed the Frying Pan of Mass Destruction, but there were more important matters at hand right now. He hurriedly opened the front door.

Sure enough, the bluish green-haired woman was waiting behind the door with a black iron skillet on her hand. "Trunks Brief and Son Goten! Didn't I—"

"Mom, there's no time for it! It's Goten!" as though reading a script he said—almost jabbered, one might say—to his mother.

"What's wrong with Goten… oh my goodness," Bulma's eyes widened. Cradled in her son's arms was a spiky-haired boy whose face and clothes were soaked with sweat which had seeped into Kid Trunks's shirt as well. Then she noticed a terrifyingly familiar sight: Goten was clutching his shirt over his heart. This wasn't good at all. "Sweetie, get a damp cloth and a glass of water, and make it quick! I'll take him to your room."

Kid Trunks did as he was told. He rushed toward the kitchen, soaked a clean towel in a bowl of cold water, filled a tall glass with warm water, and scurried to his room with his hands full. Goten was already resting on his bed, lying still but breathing shallowly. When he put the glass on the table by his bed and handed her mother the towel, he caught a better glimpse on his friend's face; he didn't need to be a doctor to notice the seriousness of Goten's sudden sickness, and everyone could see that the poor boy was in extreme pain. Then it came, the first fit.

Goten thrashed in the bed, flailing his left hand and legs around while clutching his chest with his right hand, and whined in pain. It was a terrible sight for Kid Trunks to behold, so Bulma suggested him to do something else and let her handle it. He obeyed; as much as he would like to be there for Goten, he wouldn't last long before breaking down, so he went downstairs and did everything he could do to distract himself. He had some snacks, watched TV, listened to some songs, and would even be willing to train in the gravity room if Vegeta hadn't been inside; he would be unhappy if someone barged into the room while he was training. All those things considered and done, he was still restless.

Basically there was nothing that Kid Trunks could do to divert his attention away from Goten. He only wanted to be there for his friend, so he rallied his courage and went back upstairs to his room. He was ready to open the door when he heard a muffled voice from inside; it seemed his mother was in a phone call about Goten. When his curiosity had finally gotten the better of him, he leaned his head on the door and eavesdropped.

"Um, it's Goten… uh-huh, he's not looking too well… have Goku get him here… what I'm positive of is that it's the heart virus thing… yes, Goku's disease… hey, you need time? Don't worry, I'll wait until you're ready… oh, he's here. Hi, Goku. Yes, he's sleeping now, see? Sorry for the trouble. Thanks, Goku. See you… hey, still there? It's okay, don't worry… yup, he's bringing Goten back… sorry, Chichi… I dunno, I… yes, I also thought so… where did he get it? Everyone there took the other Trunks's medicine, right? Ah, yes, we did… no, we stopped the research… sorry, but I promise I'll do something about it… yes, I still have the files… I dunno how much time we have, but I'll try my best… Chichi, be strong for him, okay? Yes, I will, don't worry… bye."

The scientist-engineer hung up and sighed. It was time for her to start reworking on the miracle drug she had abandoned years ago. She had promised Chichi to do her best, but although the files were still with her, would she be able to come up with a successful medicine in time? What about the resources? The only way was to try and she really hoped she had all the time she needed. Then came Kid Trunks strolling into his room.

"Mom…" his voice trembling, "He's gonna be okay… right?"

Now how was she supposed to answer this? To be honest, Bulma herself didn't know if she could save the boy whom she had considered her own son, Kid Trunks's younger brother. A little comforting lies wouldn't hurt now, would they? She sure hoped so. "He will, sweetie. Don't worry." Never before in her life had she seen her son as troubled as he was now. He had always been the stronger of the two, but now… he was totally insecure. Perhaps it had been because of Gotenks; since then, Goten had become quite literally his other half.

"No, he won't. It was the heart thing, right? I heard you on the phone," he retorted. His mother was taken aback; she didn't know he overheard her conversation with Chichi. Now he knew everything and the full extent of the situation. He walked to the window, opened it, and said, "I'm going to Goten's! Don't stop me, mom!" he transformed and immediately blasted off into the distance.

"Trunks, wait!" she called out, but it was too late. Her son was out of sight. "Oh, sweetie… you're about to learn the true face of life, you know that, right? It's not gonna be pretty…"

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><p>The little Super Saiyan felt his thoughts run haywire as he pierced through the cold evening air. Goten getting the heart disease? How was it even possible? He had heard about this disease from her mother. According to her, Goku's illness seven years ago was the only case they had ever witnessed, and the disease had been unheard of since then. So why now? And why Goten, of all people? Did he even know about this? Kid Trunks shuddered at the outcome of this chain of events if he did nothing, but what could he do? Development for the medicine had been brought to a halt because everybody thought the disease would never rear its head again, but then it just came and struck without warning. Did it mean there was no way to cure Goten? Did it mean…<p>

No. He would never allow it. There had to be some way to bring back Goten's health! He was so lost in thought he didn't realise having overshot the Sons' residence for quite a distance, so he turned around and powered down as he landed on the front porch of the capsule house. As he approached the door, he could hear a conversation currently taking place inside.

"But… how? How is it possible?" said a muffled female voice from inside. It was the voice of a very devastated Chichi. "I thought the virus is gone! How… from where… did Goten get it?"

Kid Trunks had knocked several times on the door, but no one seemed to notice. Being the son of the impatient Vegeta he was, he opened the door and peeked inside. He could see Goku and Chichi sitting beside each other in the couch facing the direction of Goten's room.

"Chi, calm down… don't freak out," said Goku. Consoling people never was his forte. "Everything's gonna be alright. Goten will be just fine."

"CALM DOWN, YOU SAY? How can you be so calm? Mister, in case it's not clear enough for you, Goten contracted a disease without a cure! Its research was terminated!" Chichi exploded with rage. Anybody would be able to tell that she was going to break down soon. "Terminated, Goku, seven years ago! And we didn't even know poor Goten had it all along… he was hiding it! Our baby has no chance, Goku… no chance…"

"Mom, stop it," came another raspy voice after the sound of a door being shut. Gohan. "You're upsetting Goten. Please. He's awake. He heard you and it made him very sad," he said. Chichi stooped her head in embarrassment. "And… I've also talked to him about this…" there was a long silence. Kid Trunks could almost scoop the tension in the air. "… and I think it's time to tell you the truth."

"What?" said two voices, and a silent one from the doorway, in unison.

Another silence. It was almost a full minute before Gohan had finished gathering his courage for something which wasn't meant to be taken lightly. "Dad, mom… I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for, Gohan?" asked Goku. Sure, he had always been clueless, but now he was at least twice as clueless as he had normally been.

Gohan finally spoke up, "Goten caught the disease… from me."

Yet another silence which felt like it lasted for an eternity. Goku and Chichi practically jaw-dropped at Gohan's words and Kid Trunks suddenly experienced an emotional turmoil. He continued, "I never did take the pills, mom. When I was a kid I always thought they tasted bad, so I only pretended to take them while in fact I spat them out when you weren't looking. I had never experienced any symptoms, so I thought I was healthy. But as we can see, I was wrong. The virus could have simply stayed dormant inside my body which is pretty much the case right now, and since Goten is just a little kid… it wasn't really that difficult for him to contract the virus."

"But… Gohan… it's not true! No, it can't be!" Chichi freaked out. To say she was dumbstruck was an understatement. "No, Gohan. It must've been from someone else, not you! Perhaps from Krillin, Vegeta, Bulma…"

"Mom, please, stop. It was me all along. It was my fault. Goten is very shy; aside from Trunks and his family, he hardly ever met the others, while since he was born he has been in contact with me. Besides, if it were the others, then it wouldn't be Goten, it would be their kids."

"But… why are we just fine?"

"The pills didn't only cure, they also had preventive properties. That's why you asked everyone to take one, right? It turned out to be a wise precaution…"

Chichi couldn't take any more of this nonsense; she staggered backward and fainted. "Chi! Come on, snap out of it," Goku cried out in distress, "Gohan, get a cup of water, now!"

"Dad, I'm so sorry about this," said Gohan. His little brother was dying because of his ignorance, his mother got very stressed out because of his revelation, and this was more than enough to bring him onto the verge of tears. "If there's anyone you need to hate, it's me. I deserve it—Trunks?"

Goku and Gohan's attention was now on the little kid who had been standing on the doorway. Immersed in their conversation, they hadn't noticed his presence and that they had inadvertently spilled everything for Kid Trunks to hear.

"How long have you been there?" asked the elder Son. He could tell something big was brewing and it wasn't going to be pleasant. "If you're looking for Goten, he's in his room. I know you're worried about him, but he needs some rest—"

"I need to talk with Gohan," the youngest interrupted Goku curtly. He thought his mother's revelation was bad enough, and now here he was, among the Sons, presented with a crazy twist too great for him to handle. He wasn't in the mood for senseless chit-chat.

The Sons exchanged a worried glance before Gohan turned around, approached Kid Trunks, and offered his hand which he so rudely shoved away. He glared at the kid but still tried to keep his emotions in check; the last thing he wanted at the moment was Goten barging out of his room in the middle of a heated confrontation between his big brother and his best friend. "You wanna come in and have a seat?" he asked as politely as he could manage.

"Outside," Kid Trunks gestured at the door.

Gohan's eyes were fixed at his father who gave him a nod. "Go. I'm gonna take your mom to the room," he said as he carried the unconscious Chichi into the depths of the house. And then there he was, all by himself, confronting a very angry boy who seemed ready to squeeze the life out of him. Not wanting to create a scene inside the house himself, he complied with Kid Trunks's request and took him outside.

"I know you heard everything," said Gohan. The boy kept his silence. "I'm not gonna lie, Trunks. What you heard is true. It was because of me. I—"

In a flash, a small but unimaginably strong fist landed on Gohan's face. In normal circumstances he wouldn't even stumble—thanks to the Old Kai's ceremony during his time in the Sacred World—but the blow took him by surprise and he was sent hurling onto a nearby tree.

"You're killing him," growled Kid Trunks. He had ascended; his now viridian eyes radiated nothing else but hatred and anger.

Gohan stood up. Blood trickled down his lips, which he soon wiped away. "I know. I am. Are you happy now?" he asked the little boy, then sighed, "… alright, Trunks. I won't fight back. If it makes you happy, go ahead beat me up. Yes, it's my fault. Let go of all your anger on me."

Kid Trunks didn't need to be told twice. Blinded by rage he charged onto Gohan, the person who had infected his own brother with the accursed disease. Into every blow—which the teenager didn't counter, true to his words—he poured all his power. "You're killing him, you know that, right, Gohan? Because of you, he has to suffer! And we can't wish him back ever again! Not only he had been wished back before, this is a natural cause!"

He knew if he kept this up Gohan would probably end up somewhere worse than the hospital, but he didn't care; all he needed was to vent out his frustration at this person who dared to do such a terrible thing to his own brother who happened to be his best friend. Goten had no chance of recovery and he was going to leave him alone, forever… at that thought, Kid Trunks completely snapped out of control and was ready to finish Gohan off with his Big Tree Cannon.

"Trunks, no! Stop!"

He had been there all along, but why Kid Trunks couldn't feel Goten—who had heard the commotion and forced himself to find out what was really happening—was beyond him. Perhaps it was because he was too busy pounding the life out of Gohan, or… because his energy level had been declining so rapidly it was now too weak to sense. It didn't matter; he kept doing what he had come here for. Focusing his attention solely on Gohan, he ignored Goten's cries, stepped back a few metres, and let a huge amount of energy envelop his palms. He then clasped his hands with index fingers aimed at his target, ready to fire. "This is for you, Goten!" he cried out and released a very fast and intense wave. Gohan, already accepting of what could very well happen, stayed still as the wave inched closer and closer.

"Kamekameha!"

A bluish white wave pushed Kid Trunks's cannon away from its intended trajectory. The combined wave travelled into the night sky and finally exploded high above the earth, creating a brilliant display of fireworks. Goten had channelled almost all of his remaining energy into his attack and now he looked even weaker than ever.

The angry boy wasn't impressed at all by this unexpected turn of events. "Why, Goten? Why did you protect Gohan?" he growled. When he turned to face Goten, his twisted face showed a hint of confusion whether to be enraged at Gohan or at Goten's attempt to stop him. "He made you suffer!"

"No, Trunks. He didn't," came the weak reply. Panting, he fell on his knees. Exhaustion and pain had evidently gotten the better of him. "He couldn't have known. Please, Trunks, Gohan hasn't done anything wrong. Don't hurt him," he pleaded.

Hearing his friend's words, Kid Trunks calmed down a little as though he had been comforted. His hair reverted into loose lilac strands, his eyes into icy blue, and the blazing golden aura surrounding him slowly dissipated into thin air. He was holding back his tears which threatened to spill any minute now, and it hurt. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing," he said remorsefully while trying to help his friend get back to his feet, "There now, Goten. Can you walk?" It took everything inside him to keep him from crying. Princes didn't cry.

"Uh-huh. Thanks, Trunks. But you didn't do anything wrong to me, so don't apologise," Goten then looked at his brother and grew concerned, "But Gohan…"

"Oh man, Gohan…" he came rushing to help him, "Are you okay? I'm sorry, Gohan! I really am! I didn't mean it…"

Gohan stopped him mid-sentence, then smiled. "Shh. It's alright, Trunks. Don't worry." He brushed off the twigs and pieces of tree bark clinging to his shirt. "It's getting quite late now. It might be better if you just spend the night here. I'm sure dad wouldn't mind and I'll call your mom later." The lilac head grinned and politely accepted Gohan's offer. "You wanna watch over Goten for the night? You can sleep in my bed, I'll take the sofa."

"But Gohan, can I?" he hesitated, afraid if he might catch the crazy disease from being in contact with Goten.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. You're already immune," he stopped, seemingly trying to recall something from his memory, "Bulma did make you take the medicine when you were a baby… you may not remember, but I do. Besides, you've been always around Goten, right? You've been there for him even longer than my dad had. Now go inside before you catch a cold. I'll wash Goten and be with you in just a moment," he said while lifting Goten piggyback style, "There ya go, squirt. Wow, you've grown up."

Kid Trunks smiled at the sight and was about to enter the house when he heard his best friend shout to assure him that he was alright, "Trunks, I'll be okay. I promise." What Goten didn't realise was that to Kid Trunks his words seemed like a huge peg being driven straight into the heart. He had no idea that he could ever be well again. However, even in his miserable state, he could still manage to pull that silly smile, and that made the proud little prince's heart stir with uncertainty.

'I wish you would, Goten…' thought Kid Trunks, 'I really do.'

* * *

><p>He had been spying on them.<p>

After the commotion was over, Trunks took off from Mount Paozu and returned to his hotel. It was Goten, alright, as he had suspected. Earlier, he had felt an abrupt drop in someone's power level. At one moment the diminished energy had come from the direction of Capsule Corp, then next second it kind of teleported to Mount Paozu. He deduced that it had to be someone who was closely related to the Briefs and Sons: either Kid Trunks or Goten, and the sudden spatial lapse screamed nothing else than Goku's Instant Transmission, so it had to be the latter.

When he learned about Goten's heart disease, a dilemma unlike anything he had experienced before arose, a classic battle between heart and head, but of epic proportions and where everything was a grey area. His mind began to run through a series of possibilities and repercussions depending on his action he was about to take.

It was a fact that he had everything in his disposal to save Goten; if he wanted, he could bring him to the future and treat him with the cure. Goten would stay alive and Kid Trunks along with the whole Son family wouldn't have to deal with a great loss. However, it would also require him to do something he had been shunning since his arrival to this timeline, and that was to interfere with its history. Saving him would definitely trigger the occurrence of unknown events—be they for better or for worse; there was no way to find out—in the future and if it turned out that the poor boy had already been stated to meet his end now, he would be making a major timeline diversion just like when he had saved Goku. Since it had been done once in the past, the fabric of time-space of this timeline might not be as strong as it had been before, and further intervention might result in more severe distortions.

But if he let this timeline have its way, Goten would lose his life. Not only would he lose his life, mind you, he would lose his life again. Which meant nothing could bring him back ever again, just like what Kid Trunks had said in his outrage. And even if the Namekian Dragon could wish the same person back to life more than once, it wouldn't be able to revive someone who died of natural causes, right? If so would the case be, Kid Trunks would be extremely devastated. He had seen the friendship those two had formed, a friendship he so envied which he decided to let go the night before, and he couldn't bring himself to stay passive. The future of this timeline would stay stable, of course, but the boy might not be as stable… somehow, he felt the need to help this boy, who was himself but at the same time wasn't himself, and Goten, whom he so strangely missed although he had never met him before.

Then an evil thought came across his mind. Why not let Goten die? Not only he wouldn't have to worry about this timeline's future, but Kid Trunks would also get to feel exactly what he had been feeling, which was to grow up without a friend his age. Yes, that might work… but he quickly shoved that thought away. How could he possibly do that? Didn't he want his kid self to be happy and not to undergo the terrible life he had experienced? Didn't he want Goten to always be a good friend for him to ensure just that? He was not the envy-struck person he had been three days before!

He began to think about Goten, the boy who was Goku's doppelganger. He was always cheerful, optimistic, and quick to trust. For a little kid his age, he had an immense power, which his gentle disposition so conveniently belied. He was really everything one could ever ask for and Kid Trunks, Gohan, Goku, and Chichi must have been extremely proud of him. His smile, that grin he had also seen in Goku and Gohan seven years ago, never failed to radiate happiness and confidence that were highly contagious. His cheerful nature, even during the time in the Other World, showed everyone that he had a positive outlook in life. In his thought, having Goten as a best friend made Kid Trunks, his other self, the luckiest guy in the whole planet.

He wanted them both to be happy. Kid Trunks didn't deserve to lose his cherished friend at such a tender age, and Goten didn't deserve to be gone for good at such a tender age. He knew it because he had lost his mentor Gohan to the Androids when he was only fourteen; the fact that he had turned Super Saiyan for the first time just illustrated the extreme emotional anguish he had felt that time, and it was miserable. If the death of someone close had taken such a great toll on a fourteen-year-old, how would it affect little kids who were only seven and eight? No, he wasn't about to let it happen! It was himself whom he was trying to help, for the love of all that is good; another self of him, of course, but it was him in another timeline.

Yes, he had decided, and it was his final verdict. He was prepared to be held responsible for the consequences this timeline would have to experience in its future…

At midnight, he would return to Mount Paozu… and sneak Goten to the future.

He must save the life of this boy who never was. For Goten's good, for Kid Trunks's good, and for his own.

* * *

><p><em>Post-note: It might not be evident in the anime, but in the manga and games Goten is known to mispronounce Kamehameha as Kamekameha.<em>


	3. Part 2: Never Had the Chance

_Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Finally, the long-awaited second part to the main story is up. Thanks for your patience. For this chapter, putting the ideas into words had been inexplicably hard for some reason, and I'd say, I'm quite glad for how it turned out to be. Brace yourself for a long ride; at OVER NINE THOUSAND words this chapter would be the longest one in the story and will include multiple scene shifts, but I hope you can still follow the flow no problem. Let me also take the opportunity to thank everyone who had subscribed to the story and also kindly dropped their comments and encouraging reviews, I appreciate it so much! I'm so glad this story is worth continuing. Oh, I would also like to hear your opinion about the characters in this story, if you please; is there anyone who's OOC? I've tried my best to minimise occurrences of OOC-ness, but if you spot any, do feel free to let me know. I even went as far as imagining the characters saying the lines in their anime voices and see whether it clicks, haha! Anyway, this would be the second last chapter of this story; the only thing left after this one is the epilogue, so stay tuned for that one!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Now, on with the story. Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>In that particularly shiny afternoon, Bulma was tending to her enormous indoor garden. Since the Androids' defeat it had been her favourite pastime; it reminded her so much of her late parents, especially her mother, who had passed away of old age. Every time she watered a flowerbed of forget-me-nots she would for some reason feel a heartwarming presence, which was perhaps due to the fact that those flowers had always been her mother's favourite. "Look, mom, they're blooming," she whispered to the cloudless blue sky beyond the skylight, "Cobalt blue. The way you used to like them to be."<p>

She was about to proceed to the neighbouring bed—one cluttered with bougainvilleas of various beautiful shades of purple—but her attention was caught by a dome-canopied vehicle parked on a turf where her father used to let his exotic mix of pet roam about. Noticing it, she strolled along the corridors, made her way to Trunks's room, and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Bulma opened the door and saw her son sitting by the bed. "Honey, I thought you knew better than to barge into the house without greeting your parent when coming home? How's your trip over there?" she asked while walking toward Trunks, but stopped upon seeing a little boy lying on the bed, "Hmm? Who's this?"

Trunks winced a little bit. Sooner or later his mother would have to find out, but he hadn't expected it was going to be this soon. He wasn't ready but spoke nonetheless, "He's… a friend of mine."

"A friend, huh?" Bulma mumbled, then walked around to get a better look on the boy's face, "He looks just like… Goku, don't you—oh my gosh, Trunks," she gasped as everything suddenly clicked inside her head, "Tell me what I'm thinking isn't true."

Even though he stayed silent, to Bulma it was more than an answer. Then it began, her lengthy string of lecture, even though she was unsure where to start. Interfering with their timeline yet again was one thing, but bringing back from over there someone who wasn't supposed to exist over here? She could only hope it had been a dream all along. "Trunks, you knew better than messing around like this! You know how it will affect their future, right? And by bringing him here, ours as well? No amount of explanation is going to justify what you've done!"

"Mom, this boy's a very good friend of him… of Trunks. I can't afford to let him lose him," said Trunks, hoping to gain her mother's sympathy by mentioning something about loss. He thought it might work because they had experienced the loss of their dearly beloved before, but he didn't rule out the very real possibility of a chain of lecture.

"Lose him? What do you mean? Kidnapping him here already counts as that Trunks losing him!"

That was true. He hadn't thought of the short-term effect before. How would Kid Trunks feel upon learning that his best friend was gone, missing from their time-space continuum? They wouldn't be able to even sense his power level. They would think Goten was… dead. Not just dead, mind you, dead and nowhere to be found. "Please listen, mom. This little guy… he caught a heart disease which our Goku succumbed from. I discovered that you… uh, their version of you stopped researching on the cure…" he faltered, unsure of what to say next, "He deserves to live on, mom; they have a future! You would've done the same if you'd seen how close they are to each other! He's my friend!"

"He's not YOUR friend, Trunks! He's your other self's friend, and you're not him!" she retorted, "You are two different individuals, two separate entities, two distinct beings! He may look like you, but he's not you!"

"You know you had disturbed their natural flow of time when you saved their Goku, right?" he nodded, aware of where this was going. "Well… by attempting to save this kid, what's his name?" she asked, to which Trunks answered with his name, "Ah, Goten… yes, by saving him, you'll create another huge disturbance. It's so much like Goku's case; he wasn't supposed to live then, and neither is the boy now. The positive repercussions brought about by Goku's survival were pure luck, but there's no telling what will happen to their timeline with Goten's extended existence."

Hearing such words coming from his mother, he lashed out, "Get real, mom! So you're saying we're gonna just let him die? After all my efforts of bringing him here?"

"Trunks… listen to me carefully now," rubbing her right temple, she let out a loud sigh, "You've acted purely on impulse. People come and go, honey, and there's nothing we can do about it. If it's their time, we'll have to let them go. It's very difficult, we know it all too well, but playing God is not what we're supposed to do…" she lifted her head and cast a soul-searching gaze into Trunks's eyes. To his surprise, however, her stern expression slightly relaxed. "But not doing what we actually can to cure Little Goten here isn't morally right either."

A spark of hope glimmered in Trunks's cerulean eyes, "So, mom, that means…"

"Let's help him, okay?"

Trunks grew excited at the prospect of Goten's recovery. At least there was something they could do for all the trouble of bringing him here, and that he wouldn't return to the other timeline empty-handed. He promised his mother he would take care of Goten during his stay here.

"Oh, by the way, Trunks," Bulma suddenly interrupted his glee. From the look on her face something inside Trunks suspected that she had some unpleasant news to break. "Your time machine overheated and needs a good repair… more like a reconstruction, actually. It'll take six weeks, at least."

"Overheated? Reconstruction? Six weeks? At least? Gosh, mom…" Trunks was right with his intuition and couldn't believe his own ears, "I know I can return Goten back to any time after his disappearance, but will he be able to stay that long here? I mean, he may get depressed or homesick…"

"You make him comfortable," she poked his chest and winked, "Be a good big brother now!"

He sweatdropped, but so he did. He used to love the idea of having a baby brother. At first, Goten freaked out when he realised he was trapped in the future with no way back yet and cried for his family—"Who are you? Where am I? Where is everyone? Daddy, mommy, Gohan, Trunks, where are they? I wanna go home!"—but Trunks did a good job in calming him down and keeping him company. When he introduced himself and his mother, Goten was surprised—also because he found out this Trunks was different from the one he knew—to learn that he was actually in the future, because he had only seen time travel in TV shows. However, for some reason, it didn't take long for Trunks to earn Goten's trust, probably because he was the replica of his best friend in his own timeline.

The first two weeks of Goten's stay was mostly uneventful. He had to stay in bed during his recovery which took ten full days, and Trunks proved to be a fantastic foster brother to Goten. Despite the somewhat huge age gap—fifteen years or so—and having been strangers to each other before, they perfectly clicked. Most of the time Trunks would just bring his video games to their room, talked about so many things, and laughing at countless jokes until past midnight. At times they could get too engrossed in their exchange, so Bulma had to remind them it was time to sleep.

As for Trunks, Bulma observed something different about him. Since Goten's arrival he had been smiling a lot; she wondered if the boy had been gnawing his way through his defences. He never failed to assist his foster baby brother whenever he needed help on something: food, drink, medicine, shower, clothes, games, books, occasional walks around the garden, and basically everything else. He even gave up his bed for Goten and was more than willing to sleep on the floor, and when they were about to go to sleep, Trunks always waited for him to fall into slumber before proceeding to do the same. The extra work imposed on him seemed to make him more contented instead of drowning him in displeasure.

All things considered, Goten had been a very nice addition to their little family, and perhaps he wouldn't mind the six-week period of waiting at all.

* * *

><p>The day seemed to pass in a horribly slow pace.<p>

When everyone caught wind of Goten's disappearance from Kid Trunks that morning, things ran out of control and the underworld broke loose. Quick as a flash, just within half an hour after Goku had alerted everyone by raising his power level, the Z-fighters gathered on Mount Paozu to help in the search for the missing boy, and rescue parties were formed.

In teams of two, the warriors scoured every nook, cave, and cranny of the heavily vegetated forest. Kid Trunks had offered his help and was more than willing to join the fray, but everybody agreed to have him stay at the Son house in case Goten decided to return before the others did. Besides, there was Marron; Krillin and Eighteen were busy in the search and neither seemed to be comfortable with the idea of bringing the little girl along, so they asked Kid Trunks to look after her while keeping watch for Goten. The wait had been boring for him to say the least, but with Eighteen being the fifth strongest among them all—compounded with her admirable protectiveness toward her family—he really didn't have any other choice.

When evening came, the Z-fighters started to show up one by one at the capsule house. The conclusion of the search was extremely distressing: Goten was nowhere to be found in the entire Mount Paozu area, and as if it hadn't been bad enough news, no one could sense his power level.

An idea suddenly popped up in Kid Trunks's mind. "Hey, why don't we just use the Dragon Balls?" he exclaimed in hope, "We can ask the Dragon where Goten is and bring him back!"

Silence hung in the air. It hadn't been even a week since they last used the Dragon Balls to wish back Vegeta's victims when he was under Babidi's control. There was no way Trunks would have known about this, though; he and Goten had been unconscious in Kami's Lookout due to the Saiyan Prince's noble sacrifice when the Dragon was summoned. No one dared to bring it out to the clueless little boy, but knowing that someone would eventually have to, Bulma took the courage.

"Then… there's no way to know where he is," Kid Trunks felt like his spirit was drained from him. Another period of deafening silence followed as though everyone was mourning at the dying hope.

Since it was getting late, Goku suggested that they continued the search the following day and to call it a day. Everyone returned home with a heavy heart, but Kid Trunks refused to go. He would stay at Son house waiting for Goten's return; he even planned to search the forest once again all by himself if necessary. He did, but returned with zero result.

Overcome with sadness and exhaustion, he fell asleep in the Sons' living room. Gohan—who had noticed that the he been avoiding him earlier, and he could very well tell why—saw the kid and took him to Goten's—which was also his—room and gave him a proper bed to sleep in. He admired the determination Kid Trunks exhibited to find his best friend; one did not simply venture alone into the depths of Mount Paozu's forest. He had learned it the hard way from his experience while escaping Piccolo's training when he was barely five.

"Trunks, it's not your fault that this is happening," Gohan whispered to the sleeping boy, "I know you wanted to watch over him yesterday. It's not your fault he left. You also needed to rest. I'm not mad at you, Trunks, no one is," he stopped when Kid Trunks shed a tear in his sleep. He must be having a nightmare. Gohan wiped the tear off his face and continued, "You've done well, Trunks. I'm proud of you, and I'm sorry for bringing this disaster upon ourselves. Now sleep well."

He covered the little figure lying in the bed in front of him with Goten's quilt, switched off the light, and lay on his own bed to get some well-earned rest.

"Goten… everybody's missing you like crazy," he said, unsure if his words could even reach his brother at all, "Come home soon, brother…"

* * *

><p>"So what do you think about living here?" Trunks asked the little boy across him who just finished his last bowl of rice. Goten, who had made a complete recovery from his illness, tilted his head when he heard the question. "You've been here for three weeks. What do you think?"<p>

Goten thought hard to answer the question, then came up with a rather surprising one. "Hmm, I dunno… it's different from my timeline. It looks like some kind of a big battle was going on everywhere for a long time," he said, "Everyone looks kinda sad, and they look like they're waiting for the people they love to return but they never do. It's just like how I miss daddy, mommy, Gohan, and Trunks," his voice assumed a slightly gloomy tone, "but that's okay, because you're here, Trunks. And I think everyone here also still has someone who cares about them so they're trying to move on, and it makes me happy!"

Trunks nodded in amazement at his ability to see things in a different light. He had to admit, as a seven-year-old he turned out to be extremely perceptive of what was around him and could even tell what was wrong with people. His train of thoughts was broken by Goten asking what had happened here, so he explained everything about the Androids who had terrorised their world for more than fifteen years and Cell's arrival. Well, almost everything; he purposefully left out the details about the deaths of the other Z-fighters, especially his mentor Gohan, because he was unsure of how Goten would react.

"The Androids were bad? In my timeline, Auntie Eighteen is one of us, and she's really strong! And if you're stronger than her," said Goten. Making a wide arc using both his hand to emphasise his point, he continued, "then you must be REEEALLY strong."

Trunks just chuckled. Goten really had no idea that himself and Kid Trunks were probably just a notch or two below him. After all, those rascals were the youngest Super Saiyans ever! Combined, they would surely make short work of him, and let's not mention Gotenks. Or even Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks for that matter. He shuddered at the thought of being trapped in a ball of Galactic Donuts and tossed around like a volley ball, such wacky children. Trunks then decided that now was a good time to learn about his kid counterpart. "So tell me about Trunks in your timeline."

"Our Trunks, huh…" he put his hand to his chin, unsure where to start, "He's very nice. He's strong, too, even stronger than me. He usually tells me to do everything, but that's okay because he's older than me and he knows so many things. He's like a twin brother to me, but sometimes he also forces me to do things like stealing someone's costume and fit together into it to fight in the World Tournament's adult division," he narrated. Trunks was laughing; these boys' antics were just plain amusing. "I didn't know what he was thinking, though, but I followed his plan. I always trust Trunks even though he can be strange sometimes, because I know we're gonna have lots of fun!"

Goten told Trunks the time when they had to fight together against Broly. He was surprised to say the least; he had fought the lunatic before, and these kids had to do the same? Nevertheless, he couldn't contain his laugh and burst so hard upon hearing Goten's recount on how Kid Trunks wetted his pants all over Broly's face. Then in excitement he continued on how they escaped from angry food shop owners for not having cash to pay the bill, spying on Gohan and Videl and saw them doing kissy-kissy stuff, trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to prepare for Majin Buu, fusion into Gotenks, and the—according to him, weird but funny—pranks they pulled in the Other World. Hearing his stories, Trunks felt happy for his kid self for being blessed with someone to have fun with and he began to believe that his actions had been for better.

After telling his recount, Goten figured out that now was the time for some storytelling from Trunks. "So, Trunks, where are the others? I mean, my daddy, mommy, and Gohan over here," he asked cheerfully, "Can I see them?"

Trunks flinched slightly at the question. He knew sooner or later Goten would ask this very question. How would he reveal that they had passed on, and how would the boy handle it? At the same time, he knew it wouldn't be right to hide it from the boy. He was supposed to be one of them and he had the right to know about them and what had happened to them. Not wanting to ruin the young boy's happiness, Trunks had to struggle to find the right words.

"They're… not here right now. I'll take you to them next week. I promise."

* * *

><p>Five days had passed since Goten's disappearance and throughout there had been no signs of the missing boy. Videl, learning about this, encouraged her father to broadcast a worldwide message about him and even offered a huge amount of reward for anyone who managed to find him, but their efforts still hadn't yielded any result. The situation grew dire and their hopes were getting slimmer and slimmer.<p>

Among the Z-fighters, their relatives, and allies, it was Kid Trunks who received the hardest blow. He had become so stressed that he stopped eating, training, and even talking with his parents. Bulma was deeply disturbed by this and Vegeta kept rambling on and on about how Kid Trunks was losing valuable time to train. Getting an angry response over a knock on his door was considered good enough, much less having him out of the room for any reason. He would simply slam the door shut with invisible energy wave without even getting up from his bed or—at times when he was really off the mood—throw an energy ball.

Kid Trunks would sit on his bed all day and indulge himself in wishful thinking. On the sheets were scattered a paraphernalia of objects that reminded him of his lost friend, such as the toys he promised to give away after the World Tournament—he was really mad at himself for not having given them earlier—and a silver handheld video game console Goten had left there to play every time he visited. Among those items, there was one which Kid Trunks treated with extreme care and attention: a picture frame, sitting on his desk, which he would clean every day of dust. The frame held a picture of them, standing side-by-side on the World Tournament ring, grinning at the camera and making victory signs with their hands. It was taken after Hercule's defeat at his hands. The picture seemed to have become the only string that held his hopes together; before he had seen Goten's lifeless body himself, he refused to believe that he was dead.

Every night, he would open the window and whisper, hoping the wind would carry his message to his best friend wherever he could possibly be.

"Goten, everyone misses you. I miss you. Where are you?"

* * *

><p>"Alright, you guys. The machine is almost ready," Bulma said to the two half-Saiyans who were engrossed in a video game fight. Goten cheered in pure excitement as Trunks, brimming with determination, was pounding the hideous pink boss monster which reminded him of Majin Buu into oblivion. "Hello? Earth to Trunks and Goten!"<p>

Fortunately they heard Bulma's call and managed to avoid a series of long lecture. "Does it mean I'm going home soon?" asked Goten. Bulma nodded and the boy grinned, but Trunks could see a hint of melancholy on his smile; his further inquiry confirmed his suspicion. "Can I stay with Trunks for a little bit longer?"

Bulma and Trunks looked at each other. They fully understood how Goten was feeling because they too felt the same way. Taking care of him for almost five weeks had made them feel like he was a part of their family. It would be nice if he could stay, but at the same time, they knew what was good for them as well as for the little time traveller. The bluish green-haired engineer then stepped forward, ruffled Goten's hair, and said, "Well, I guess you can. It's not exactly ready yet, since I have to make some final adjustments." She then gestured at Trunks, "In the meantime, why don't you take Little Goten for a walk, honey?"

Trunks remembered his promise the previous week and agreed with his mother's proposition. "Alright, mom. You wanna go with me, Goten?" he asked while saving the progress of his game, then turned the console off.

"Uh-huh! Let's go, let's go!" the spiky-haired boy replied with excitement, "Auntie Bulma, I'm going with Trunks!"

"Be careful, you two!" she exclaimed as the pair took off to the sky.

When Goten asked about their destination, Trunks answered that they were going to visit Goku, Chichi, and Gohan, which was enough to elicit a surge of happiness from the child. The flight to Mount Paozu was filled with silence: comfortable from Goten's point of view, but uncomfortable at Trunks's end. He still couldn't imagine how he would react upon learning the hard truth.

They made their landing at a majestic gate and continued from there on foot. The highlands looked radically different in this timeline; mounds of earth, some with stone markers jutting out at the end, could be seen lining the mountain road leading to the summit. The green of grass was eclipsed by a sea of colourful—but mostly white and pink—flowers, there were absolutely no sounds at all other than the river and the occasional breeze, and all in all the scenery was even more beautiful than what Goten used to see in his timeline. The beauty unnerved him, though; something was off at this version of Mount Paozu. Yes, it was very calm and serene, and he liked it, but it was WAY too serene. He was a little scared but kept up with Trunks nonetheless. Fifteen minutes later, they finally arrived at their destination: a familiar white capsule house with white façade. It looked perfectly identical to the one Goten knew back home; even the small hut was there, not far from the main house. It was his house.

Trunks stopped and stood by the gate solemnly. "We're here, Goten," he said, "This is the final resting place of your parents and brother."

"Resting place?" confusion was noticeable in Goten's face, "But Trunks, this is our house. I don't… I don't understand."

Trunks walked toward an arrangement of three graves—they were positioned such that it looked like they originated from one spot and were pointing into three different directions, creating a letter Y—which was beautifully decorated with bouquets and rings of flowers, then beckoned at Goten. When he saw the complex of graves and read the inscription on one of the tombstones, his eyes widened as he learned that traces of the Sons in this timeline had been erased. He just stood there, nailed onto the ground, as his eyes cast an inscrutable gaze over the proofs of their existence.

"This one's your father's," he pointed to a grave, facing south, with the largest tombstone, "He was twenty-nine when a disease struck him, the same disease you recovered from two weeks ago. He was a brave fighter… you know Frieza, right?" he asked Goten. Keeping silent, he nodded. "Well, when he came to earth with his father, they had been no match for him. It was just like a flick of his pinkie and then boom, they were gone. Yup, he was THAT strong."

Trunks then walked around and showed Goten another grave. This one was facing northwest. "This one's your mother's. She gave her life when the Androids were after Gohan… they were on the way to my house when those cursed monsters appeared. Of all people, why did it have to be them?" he clenched his teeth hard he almost hissed, "Chichi stayed behind and fought while Gohan escaped to my house for help, but when we returned… it was too late…"

Trunks was about to walk over toward the last grave, facing northeast, but then saw Goten had been standing by it. "That's—"

"Gohan," Goten interjected. The older half-Saiyan nodded; he wished there was a way to skip this. "What happened to him, Trunks?"

"He, uh… I was actually with him that time," Trunks began to walk down the unpleasant memory lane, "He talked about charging at the Androids and I offered to help him, but he refused. I nagged at him… but suddenly everything became black. The next thing I knew, it was raining, and Gohan wasn't there. I couldn't sense his power level either. I looked for him everywhere, then I found him…" he stopped and gulped before continuing, "… his body, to be more precise. Those Androids took his life, I wasn't there for him… I was weak! It was my fault that he died!" he punched the ground with every word he said. There was a long silence with an air of unease.

"No, Trunks. I'm sure it wasn't your fault. He did it because he wanted to save you," Goten finally spoke after a while, and his words surprised Trunks so much, "You've beaten the Androids and Cell for good. They must be very happy for you now!"

Trunks didn't fully comprehend how Goten was able to handle it better than he had expected, but soon figured why. The kid had been in his position once, and it was when Vegeta knocked him and Kid Trunks unconscious and proceeded to sacrificed himself; Goten knew what it felt like. He never got to see his father during the first years of his life, then he caught wind of his brother's apparent death in the hands of Majin Buu, and he witnessed a more sinister incarnation of the very same monster murder his mother right in front of him. Life hadn't been exactly easy for him, but he was not one to dwell in the past. He had been a very strong child all along.

"Cheer up, Trunks. Dontcha think they would be sad if they see you like this?"

He was right. He'd done the best he could to avenge them and succeeded, and they could rest in peace now. "You're right, Goten. You're a strong-hearted one, you know that?" Trunks said to him, which made him smile, "Thank you. Now shall we head back home?"

Goten asked if he could be given a moment to pray for their souls, which Trunks so gladly granted. After that, they walked down the picturesque mountain path and took off to the sky, back to Capsule Corp, as soon as they passed the mountain gate.

* * *

><p>"This over here, and that over there, a bit of this, and… there! It's done!"<p>

The wait was finally over. Helped by two diligent children, Bulma had been able to speed up her process of repairing the time machine, finishing a week in advance. She herself was amazed at the progress they had made in such a short amount of time, and thanked the boys by preparing a banquet which could even satiate five full-grown Saiyans. After the feast, the time had come for Goten to return home to the people he had always been thinking of the last month.

"Mom, can I talk to you for a while?" Trunks asked his mother, to which she responded yes. However when he gestured at the door, indicating he'd rather talk outside, her face assumed a look of confusion before she exited the dining room. He turned to his pseudo-brother and said, "Goten, I'll be right back. Wait here, okay?" and followed her mother.

"So, what is it?" Bulma inquired after they walked a good distance from the doorway.

"I was hoping you could spare me some pills," said Trunks. A slight hint of hesitation was noticeable on his face.

"What for? You're immune, you know that."

"It's for their Gohan. Goten kept asking if we can do something to help him…"

As though she had known what Trunks was going to say, she readily replied, "Look, honey, we've been through this over and over. But I knew sooner or later he'd ask for such a request. I tell you what, have Little Goten give his brother…" she took a bottle of pills out of her pockets and handed it to Trunks, "… these. I used them as a prototype for my research. They're blank pills; they're inert. He won't be cured, of course, but they won't harm him either."

"You mean… you're giving him a placebo?" asked Trunks, his eyes wide. That would be an ugly card to play! "Mom, that's—"

"Sometimes sweet little lies are better, honey," she explained, "We're not messing with their timeline anymore, and you don't expect Little Goten to believe that there's nothing we can do for Gohan after all we've done for him, do you now?"

"Well, I guess you're right. There's no playing God this time…"

"I know you want to help them, but please, honey, don't. The best we can do is to pray for them."

There was a moment of silence, but Trunks nodded. He knew she was right; when it came into things of this kind, she always would be. "Understood. Thanks, mom."

"Good. Now get Goten and yourself ready and bring him to the garden."

Trunks did as told and brought Goten to a beautiful water fountain at the middle of Bulma's garden, where his mother had been waiting. Seeing the two arrive, she took a capsule from her pocket and decapsulised it, revealing a… well, capsule-shaped machine on which they were to embark on their trip back to Goten's timeline. The little halfling was amazed at the sight; he hadn't seen anything like that before, since he was asleep when Trunks took him here.

"So, it's time," said Bulma. The two time travellers looked all set and ready. "Ready to go home, Little Goten? You'll be going with Trunks."

Hearing that she wasn't joining them, Goten was taken aback. "But… Auntie Bulma… arentcha coming with us?"

"I wish I could, dear, but I have to take care of things here. You'll be okay," she assured, giving the thumbs up.

Goten stooped his head. Sadness crossed his face before he wordlessly stormed toward his foster mother and hugged her tight. Trunks and Bulma understood how he felt; during the last five weeks they had grown attached to this child as if he had been a missing part of their family. He had been like a baby brother to the former and son to the latter, and his constant cheerfulness had brought joy and love back to their lives. "Will you be okay, Auntie Bulma?"

"Don't worry, sweetie, I can take care of myself. You have to go home. You miss the others, right?" she said, ruffling his spiky but soft black hair, "I'm sure they miss you too."

Goten's heart warmed and his voice took a slightly brighter tone. "Thanks a lot for your help! I-I won't forget you!"

"I won't, too," she whispered into the boy's ear, "I never could."

When Goten let go of his hug, Bulma gave him a kiss on the forehead. He gave her the widest smile he could manage, then hovered into the time machine and took a seat. They waved to Bulma as the canopy was lowered, and with a press of a button both passengers along with the machine disappeared into thin air.

"Goodbye, Little Goten," said Bulma as she wiped away her tears.

* * *

><p>Trunks didn't know which point of time would be the best to drop Goten back on his timeline. He couldn't pick a time too close to when he had brought Goten to the future, because according to his mother it might distort the time-space structure. However, if he travelled to a time too far after then, the timeline might have differed so drastically. Those considerations brought him to settle on about a week after Goten's disappearance.<p>

It was around three in the afternoon in the main timeline. The trip across time felt so long Goten was now asleep, but theoretically the time displacement couldn't be exactly defined since it could be a jump into any time in the past or future, sometimes causing a serious case of jetlag. Trunks made his landing at the front lawn of Goten's house at Mount Paozu, where everybody was getting ready for Goten's memorial. However, just as she entered the house, Bulma noticed the familiar humming sound and saw the time machine when she turned around.

"That machine… Trunks!"

He opened the canopy of the machine and saw his mother's other self running toward him. He greeted her from his seat, "Hi, mother. It's nice to see you again."

The other Z-fighters sans Goku, Chichi, Gohan, and—of course, since he had been with him all along—Goten started to crowd around the vehicle. He had to make sure they weren't able to see Goten who was sleeping soundly on his lap; he planned to reveal him at the right moment when the others seemed to be at their saddest.

"Mom, who's that?" asked Kid Trunks. Ah, there he was, Trunks's little self. He was very different, yet similar at the same time.

"It's you from the future, honey," replied Bulma "Don't you remember? He visited us when you were a baby." But of course, he had no recollection what life had been like when he was a little tyke, so he didn't really know his adult counterpart.

"Welcome, Trunks. You come at just the right time," a nasal voice greeted Trunks. He could tell it was Krillin. "Now that you're here, why don't you join us?" Trunks was about to respond but the presence of Android Eighteen alerted him. His eyes met hers, but she ignored him and continued to soothe a little girl who was sobbing violently. He remembered Goten mentioning about her being one of them now, so he loosened up and returned his gaze to Krillin.

"Excuse me, what?" not wanting the others to notice Goten yet, he positioned him on the seat very carefully and flew out of the machine, "Everyone's wearing black. What happened?"

Although he had known what they were going to say, he politely listened to the group of warriors as they proceeded to talk about about Goku's youngest: his early years, friendship with Kid Trunks—at this point, said child went inside the house; he wasn't exactly in the mood for a eulogy—and Gotenks, attempt at saving the world, unfortunate illness, and sudden disappearance. Everybody was overflowing with emotions wondering why the boy had chosen to be somewhere far away from his family and friends during his final days.

After they were done with their story, Trunks accepted the invitation to come into the house for the memorial. Suddenly, though, all Sons stormed outside the house to meet the special guest. They had earlier been wondering what was taking the others so long outside when a distressed boy strolled into the house and said something about another himself. They didn't need to be told twice to rush outside and greet the future warrior, Kid Trunks in tow.

"Goku, Chichi, and… wow, Gohan, you're a young man now. Nice to see all of you again," he said as sympathetically as he could manage, "And I've heard about Goten. I'm sorry."

The elder Son gave Trunks a pat on the back and assured him that it was alright. He was trying to be as jovial as he always was, but it seemed… feigned. Gohan smiled weakly and invited him inside. "I'm sorry you got dragged into all this, Trunks. I'm sure you had another reason for your visit," he said, his voice raspy, "but you're welcome to join us, if you'd like to. It's a pity, though… I wish you could've met Goten. He's a great baby brother, and also a wonderful friend to your other self here."

He shot a glance at the boy in question who had also been eyeing him. "Yup, I know…" he responded.

"YOU DON'T!"

All eyes were fixed at Kid Trunks who was starting to undergo a paroxysm of fury. "You don't know Goten! You don't know how it feels to lose someone close to you without even knowing what happened to him!" Trunks clenched his teeth. How dare someone shout at him and ramble about how he had no idea of loss. He knew it too well! But then, he noticed Kid Trunks's expression which didn't quite match his mood. He was hiding something, of that he was sure. Being a son of the Prince of All Saiyans, he had been used to having a brick wall around his heart. Then it just happened, that wall crumbled. "I can't do this without him, you know that? Everyone always said sorry, and sorry, and sorry about the loss, but they don't know anything!"

The others looked sadly at Kid Trunks. Not every day could one see him going all emotional like this. He carried on, telling the world how Goten had actually been the stronger of the two, how he had always believed in Kid Trunks even though he himself sometimes hadn't, how his determination had always been what pushed them forward. "And now I'm saying all these things in past tense! He's gone!" It proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back; the little prince started to cry. With the barriers keeping his emotion shattered into tiny morsels, his lilac hair stood at its end and assumed a golden hue.

No one else dared to say anything. The only sounds one could hear was the chirping crickets, the water running softly on the creek, and the miserable sobs of a little Super Saiyan. Even Vegeta, who would normally be rambling about how true Saiyans shouldn't let emotions overcome them, stayed silent. Trunks had no idea things would be going like this, but he figured that now was the time to reveal Goten and that dragging it any longer would make things even worse. Kid Trunks might even end up killing him! He approached his replica, knelt in front of him, and was about to say something when he was interrupted by someone.

"Gee. Is Trunks crying?"

Everyone gasped at the all too familiar voice; it was a—scratch that, THE—voice they had been unable to forget. The voice whose owner was thought to have lost in time and space. The voice they had been dying to hear again. The owner of the voice, whom Trunks silently thanked for such a perfect timing, was hovering in the air by the time machine. He stretched furiously and rubbed his eyes as though he had just woken up from a night's worth of sleep.

"Goten?" Chichi stared at him in bewilderment, wondering if her mind was playing some kind of a cruel joke on her, "Goten, honey, is it really you?"

The kid in question didn't respond since he was still yawning and having trouble rallying his consciousness into one piece. When he finally noticed his family members, however, he produced this extremely huge grin that threatened to split his face into two and joyously flew toward them. "Daddy! Mommy! Gohan! I miss you!"

"Goten! Oh Goten, my baby, are you alright?" Chichi hugged her now well son tightly in her arms. She stole a glance at the space above his head, expecting to see a halo, but there was nothing. He was very much alive. "Where have you been? You had us worried sick, you know?" Goku, Gohan, and soon after the rest of the gang sans Trunks, Kid Trunks, and Vegeta began to crowd around the boy who had been brought to life. Goten didn't understand why everyone else was there and what the black dress-code was about, and since he had never been fond of being the centre of attention he began to feel uneasy, so he sought refuge behind his mother's legs.

"You have some serious explaining to do, boy," said Vegeta in a very gruff tone. He really didn't need to be informed of it, though; it didn't take a lot of effort for him to put two and two together and figure out what had happened. "That woman, the brat's mother, was very upset. Not that I care, but you could have informed her beforehand."

"Time was crucial, father," replied Trunks, "It was in the dead of the night when I was ready to take him. I couldn't afford to wait until the morning only to tell Chichi. Goten would've lost a substantial amount of time if I did."

"What drove you? You didn't even know the brat," the pure-blooded Saiyan spoke again. The tone in which he did indicated it was more of a demand than question.

Trunks hesitated, not because he didn't know the answer, but because he didn't know how to answer. He just shrugged. "I don't know. I just felt I had to do it. Perhaps it was because Goten is Little Trunks's friend. He's me, after all, and I'd do anything for my friends if they're in trouble." Vegeta snorted and under his breath muttered something very silently, but it sounded like a remark regarding "weaklings" and "emotions". Nonetheless, he flashed a smirk with an undertone of pride; after all, his son from the future had done a remarkably honourable deed.

After a tearful reunion with his family and friends and some explanation on what exactly had happened, Goten walked over to the now untransformed Kid Trunks with a grin. The latter was struggling to hide every trace of sadness present in his face moments ago. It seemed his shattered pride had been glued together again but Goten—being more perceptive than people would ever give him credit for, or simply because he had spent lots of time with his partner in crime to read his heart and head—was able to see right through his mask. "Gee, Trunks, I told you I'll be alright. Why are you crying?"

Goten's words took Kid Trunks by surprise and the elder boy blushed several shades of red. "I wasn't. It was just your dream," he said, turning his back to hide his face which was now as red as a cherry. The mighty Saiyan Prince was obviously nowhere near pleased at the sight.

"Hee-hee. I saw Trunks crying!" the raven-haired boy teased his best friend mischievously while floating around him in an almost taunting manner. "Trunks is crying! Trunks is crying!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"C'mere, dummy!"

"Yikes! Trunks is mad! Help me!"

Next second the two little rascals were engaged in an epic aerial chase with Kid Trunks chasing Goten around. They soon ascended into their Super forms and continued flying around as the game got beefed up into what looked like a Saiyan version of tag, both laughing in childish glee. It seemed their happiness was contagious since everyone was smiling at the sight; with those two as energetic as ever, they knew everything was going to be alright. Trunks could only hope.

"Little Trunks, come here for a moment," he called out. The younger quickly powered down and landed in front of him while the elder knelt, two pairs of identical eyes now meeting. "You have a great friend. Cherish the friendship between you and Goten. And although you could fool Goten into thinking what you said earlier wasn't true, you can't fool us. We know you mean it."

"Brother…" he knew what his older counterpart was saying was true. Feeling embarrassed, he could only look down and keep staring at the ground as though it had been the most interesting thing in the world.

"But know that he looks up to you. Not only as a friend, mind you, but also as a brother. You have a special place in his heart, and he won't trade it for anything else in this world or the Other," he paused to let Kid Trunks digest his words before continuing, then placed one hand on his shoulder, "So, I want you to promise me. Promise me to be strong for Goten, and to take care of him, okay? Will you do that? He will reward you someday many, many fold, I'm sure of it. Oh, and before you call me that again, let me tell you this: I'm not your brother. Goten is."

Kid Trunks bowed his head in deep contemplation before lifting it to meet Trunks's gaze. He smiled and said with absolute determination, "I will. Thank you, Trunks. For everything."

Trunks ruffled his kid self's smooth strands of hair. "Good boy. That's my… um, counterpart," he chuckled at the lack of better word. Kid Trunks then took off to carry on with his game, this time with Goten hot at his tails. Trunks stood, looked at everyone, and prepared to leave. "Well, I guess it's time for me to go. Everyone… I apologise for the confusion I've caused. I just wanted to help."

Chichi stepped forward and hugged him. "Don't be, Trunks. We're indebted to you. You saved our babies, and…" at this point tears threatened to spill from her eyes, "and we're very, very grateful for that. Please, if in the future there's anything we can help you with, feel free to drop by and ask. We'll try our best to provide you with what you need."

Trunks had almost forgotten about his request; he thanked Chichi for reminding him and whispered his request to Bulma in a very low voice only Saiyan ears could perceive.

"Well, that wouldn't be too hard," said Bulma. She looked at Goku who heard the request. He nodded in understanding and suddenly phased out from view to consult someone on the matter. "What do you need it for, though?" Trunks just smiled and said something about rebuilding his world, to which she responded with a "hmm".

A moment later Goku returned with a note on which was scribbled a series of numbers he couldn't really make sense of. He handed it over to Trunks, but warned that the outcome of a certain event might not have been the same way in his timeline. Trunks told him not to worry, because it had occurred before his arrival in this timeline and went on to explain that his intervention couldn't have influenced what had happened beforehand. Not fully comprehending the logic Goku just stood there with mouth wide open, as clueless as ever. Trunks chuckled and said playfully, "Just say okay. Never mind about that."

It was finally time for goodbye. Since everyone was gathered around him he didn't really need to raise his voice to grab everyone's attention. Just one final thing, though; this time he called out for Goten. Just like Kid Trunks did before, he landed in front of him and grinned.

"Have you given the pills to Gohan?" asked Trunks. The boy nodded fervently and said that Gohan was very thankful of that. He smiled, but of course it was a sham. He wasn't at all fond of this 'sweet little lies' idea, but there was nothing else he could do. "Good. Now I have to return to my timeline, Goten," he stopped for a while before continuing, "And… I think this would be the last time I get to see you."

The boy was surprised to say the least. His cheerful expression was slowly replaced with a gloomy one as tears began to well from his eyes. "You-you're not c-coming back?" he asked, desperately trying to contain his sobs. Trunks shook his head; it hurt, but he couldn't afford to tell him something that would give him false hope. Goten, who was at one moment looking at the ground, suddenly rushed into the house without saying anything, leaving behind a crestfallen Trunks. For once he regretted mentioning about seeing him for the last time, but he quickly shoved that thought away. Moments later, Goten returned with something square-shaped in his hand.

"It's for you, Trunks," he said, handing the object to Trunks. It was a wooden frame with a picture of Kid Trunks and Goten at the World Martial Arts Tournament, on the ring, grinning and displaying victory signs at the camera. It was the same picture Kid Trunks had in his room. "Take it with you, so you don't forget about me," he paused for a while, then floated and wrapped his arms around Trunks and buried his head on his chest. Unable to mask the sadness behind his voice, he said, "I'll miss you, Trunks."

"I'll miss you too," said Trunks hugging him back. He didn't want to part either, but of course, he knew better than that; if he stayed his presence would be slowly destroying their world. "Thanks for everything, Goten."

"Say hi to Auntie Bulma for me, will ya?"

"I sure will."

He released Goten from his hug, flew into his time machine, punched several buttons, and cried a loud "goodbye" for everyone to hear. They all waved at him; he waved back as the canopy was lowered, and when his eyes met Kid Trunks's and Goten's Trunks gave them a victory sign. He could see them reciprocate; they sported a broad grin and flashed back not one, not two, but four signs with their hands. With that he punched one last button and that was that, he was gone.

* * *

><p>He observed the picture in the simple frame sitting on his table. Kid Trunks and Goten were having such a good time together and it made him think all his efforts had been totally worth it. It sounded stupid, but he couldn't help grinning back at the picture; those two had reminded him of the concept of friendship which for him had been long lost since antiquity, and for that he couldn't thank them enough.<p>

"Was it hard?"

He nodded. His mother was right. People, they came and went, and when it was time, no one had the right to stop them from going. It was just the way it always had been, and who were we to interfere in the natural course of time? "It is. But over there, people need him, and he needs them. As much as I'd like him to stay, he can't. He never existed and if he suddenly does…"

"He'll destroy this timeline," his mother finished the sentence for him.

"… just like I destroyed theirs."

He felt a pair of gentle hands wrapped around his shoulders. "Don't be so harsh on yourself, honey. We've done what we can to help him, and you've done the right thing taking him back. Although I can't say what you did in the first place was right," she said. He sighed upon remembering the decision he had made a month earlier, but he was more than happy he could in a way made up to it by returning Goten to his family. "Oh, lookie here. Is that Goten in the picture? Oh, he's with the other you! Wow, he looks just like you as a kid… they're such handsome little kids, aren't they?"

He chuckled. Of course Kid Trunks looked just like him as a kid, he was him! He began to tell his mother amusing stories about those two little rascals, their prowess at the tournament, and even during their time in the Other World—his mother briefly freaked out at the mention of the Other World; of course, who wouldn't? Imagine your son dying without you knowing, but she shrugged it off and said that what mattered was that he was alive and well now—when they pulled crazy pranks on Grand Kai's car. Their antics greatly amused her and she giggled, but a slight hint of sadness was present.

"I'm sorry you never had the chance to enjoy what they had, honey," she said apologetically. Not that it was her fault, but she just felt miserable for him for not being able to experience a happy childhood no one was meant to be bereaved of.

"That's okay, mom. I'm happy for who I am now," he replied with a smile on his face. He paused, then with pretended curiosity asked his mother. "Say, mom, do you still have the blueprint of the ship Goku used to go to the outer space?"

Not knowing what was brewing in his mind, his mother was now confused. "Yes, honey, I still have it," she replied. He smirked in anticipation, but she didn't notice. "But what do you want to build a spaceship for?"

He looked out of the window at the vast expanse of space, then handed to his mother a note with someone's rough handwriting scribbled on it. At the thought of bringing the world a ray of hope he became extremely thrilled, and a smile laden with determination crossed his face.

"These are the galactic coordinates of the new planet Namek."

* * *

><p><em>Post-note: My friend whom I previewed this chapter to asked, "Why white and pink for the colour of the flowers?" Well, white represents purity of the soul, and in Japanese culture pink symbolises death, so I felt it could go with the Mount Paozu scene which had been turned into a burial ground in Trunks's timeline. Nothing too important, just FYI if you're wondering.<em>


	4. Epilogue: To Be Like Him

_Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

><p>Fourteen months after Trunks's return from planet Namek, the Z-fighters were gathering in an abode at the highlands of now lively—and full of life—Mount Paozu. The Sons were celebrating the newest addition to their family: a two-month-old baby boy. It was a relief that they hadn't aged one bit in the Other World, so Chichi hadn't experienced any trouble during the labour. The wish came with a somewhat strange side effect, though: Trunks and Gohan were about the same age and Bulma was middle-aged now, while the others remained as youthful as they had been the day they died many years ago.<p>

'At least everything else's back to normal, thanks to this awesome Porunga guy who didn't have strict restrictions on bringing people back. No time limit, no death count limit… and to top that, he thought only old age counts as a natural cause of death. And he also had some sense of humour… gotta love that Dragon,' thought Trunks. True, after Frieza, Elder Moori beefed up their Dragon to better cater for their needs in case something as terrible happened in the future. 'I guess that's why the Nameks guard their Dragon Balls with such great care and will use them in serious cases only. It's understandable that they'd rather lose their lives than let the balls fall into the wrong hands.'

Trunks's train of thought was broken by a squeal. It was Bulma; she had always been a sucker for babies. "Aww, so cute! What's his name?"

Goku gave that characteristic grin of his while scratching the back of his head, then said in a rather embarrassed tone, "Uh, well… we haven't given him one." The others gave him a strange look—two months and still no name? Did he want his son to be called Son Nothing?—which he swiftly countered, "But there's a reason for that! Chi, if you please."

Seeing her cue, Chichi stood up, the baby in her arms, and walked to the centre of the room so everyone could see her. When she was sure she had had everyone's attention, she took a seat and began. "Trunks, thank you for bringing us back to life, and the joys of life to us," she said looking to the youth who had fought so bravely for everyone, "For that, we've decided to give you the privilege to name this child."

The group gave a collective "ooh" in understanding. Trunks was surprised, but then smiled as though he had seen this coming. "As much as I'm honoured to receive the offer, Chichi, I'd like him to follow your family's naming custom," said Trunks respectfully. Goku and Chichi looked at each other before nodding to lilac-haired boy before them. "He will have the same surname, Son, and will get to keep the Go- part…"

Those present, even Piccolo, smiled in anticipation of what the boy was going to be christened as, except for Vegeta, who was… well, being himself. Trunks looked at Bulma, who gave him a knowing smile, then nodded and focused his attention once more to the boy who was watching the scene cluelessly from Chichi's arms, his obsidian eyes wide open. "I know that in another time and space, this boy has grown into a very fine, pure-hearted young boy. He's a true warrior who's had his share of saving the world, and at a tender age of seven, that's saying something. He witnessed a lot of terrible occurrences happen to his loved ones, and even experienced some of those things himself. No child deserves such a terrible life, but his unhindered determination took him a long way and, together with his friends, he finally succeeded in his struggle for peace." His words left the others in utter bewilderment since they had no knowledge whatsoever about time travel or the time machine, but they respected Trunks's heartfelt speech and made no attempt for an explanation; only the smiling Bulma knew what he was talking about and, recalling the time when said boy had been on the brink of death, she was very close to tears.

Trunks continued, "He's a very adorable kid, and is really an angel to those close to him. And I'm sure this boy will grow up to be like him," he stopped for a while. Everybody was waiting for Trunks to continue although they had no idea where his speech originated from. "A gift from heaven. Son Goten."

The child giggled at the words 'Son Goten', then attempted to reach for Trunks. Goku and Gohan watched in amazement, and Chichi gave Trunks a sincere smile. "That's a beautiful name, Trunks, and it looks like he loves it too. Thank you," she said while handing the baby to the youth, "Here, I think Goten wants you to hold him."

Goten became very excited as Trunks took him. "What's up, Goten? You like it?" he asked playfully as again and again he lifted the little baby, who responded by laughing in exhilaration, above his head. Everyone cooed seeing the adorable sight. From the corner of his eyes, Trunks saw Goku, Chichi, and Gohan embracing each other. He smiled and, feeling overwhelmed, let a drop of tear slip out of his eye.

"You're a blessing, you know that?" he said softly to Goten who again assumed that clueless look, "A blessing that never was. But now, you are." He smiled, lifted him high in the air to make him laugh again, and he did. He handed Goten back to Chichi and flashed a victory sign to him; surprisingly, the little baby stretched out his hands in an attempt to emulate the hand gesture Trunks displayed. Everyone chuckled at the sight. Trunks lightly poked Goten's forehead as he spoke very silently to him.

"Welcome back, Goten."

* * *

><p><em>Post-note: In Japanese, the "-ten" in Goten's name, if written in kanji, can be translated as "heaven" or "sky". This hopefully sheds some light on Trunks relating Goten to a gift from heaven.<em>

_Author's Note: Well, that's all, folks. You've just read a short epilogue concluding the whole story. Thanks for staying put with me all the way till the end; I've had a world of fun writing it and I hope you've also had lots of fun reading it! If you decide to drop a comment or review, it would be most appreciated. What happens to the main timeline is for me to know, and for you to find out. I may or may not write a sequel set in the main timeline, but if there's anyone willing to do it, please do let me know and I'll be more than happy to read and review. Now that A Blessing That Never Was has come to an close, if I may, I would also like to invite you to stay tuned for updates of Perfect Pranks. Until next time!_


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